Iowa schools, once considered a model for excellence, have slipped in recent years, according to newly released data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The foundation’s Kids Count Data Book ranks all 50 states in four areas affecting children: education, economic well-being, health, and family and community wellness.

Iowa ranked 27th in education, putting it firmly in the middle of the pack. Sean Finn, a policy analyst with Common Good Iowa, said that is a dramatic drop for a state that was once consistently among the nation’s best.

“Iowa’s proportion of kids in preschool fell, and same with fourth-grade reading proficiency and eighth-grade math proficiency,” Finn said.

The report also found Iowa’s number of low birthweight babies rose, as did the number of children without health insurance.

There were some improvements. More teens are either enrolled in school or working, and the teen birth rate fell.

Finn said family economic pressures can affect children in the classroom.

“If they’re struggling to eat, if they’re struggling to take care of the bills, that’s going to show up in education as well,” he said. “The kids are going to be bringing all of those issues and any problems they’re having with them to school.”

Leslie Boissiere, vice president for external affairs at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said that while the report is heavily focused on data, the numbers reflect what life is like for children in Iowa.

“It’s a child who either has enough to eat or doesn’t have enough to eat,” Boissiere said. “It’s a child who is either in a stable home and has access to quality education to put themselves on a pathway to thrive, or it’s a child who doesn’t have those necessities.”

Twenty-nine states saw overall declines in children’s well-being in the Casey Foundation data. Fifteen improved. Iowa ranked 10th overall.

Source: Public News Service